Public Invited to Share Photos, Stories and Appreciation as part of “I Love Texas Courthouses” Campaign

Washington — The National Trust for Historic Preservation announces a month-long celebration to raise awareness and show appreciation for Texas’ historic courthouses today. Throughout February, the National Trust, the Texas Historical Commission (THC) and Preservation Texas invite the public to show their love for these iconic places as part of the “I Love Texas Courthouses” campaign. Opportunities include online photo and story sharing, Valentine heart-making, and a group “love letter” that will be displayed at the State Capitol on February 20.

This campaign and partnership is the product of the National Trust’s ongoing commitment to the preservation of the state’s iconic courthouses. In 1998 and again in 2012, the National Trust named Texas courthouses to its list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places, which proved catalytic in the creation of the Texas Historical Commission’s (THC) Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program. The National Trust has since named the courthouses a National Treasure, signifying their national significance and the National Trust's sustained involvement in their protection.

“Dating from the 1860s to the 1950s, these courthouses are symbols of their county’s wealth, commerce and geography and a great source of community pride and identity,” said James Lindberg, field director of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “We take their preservation very seriously. Yet we hope this campaign helps bring to light, in a fun way, just how much these courthouses mean to Texas.”

The campaign announcement will take place during the rededication ceremony of the newly-restored Comal County Courthouse, built in 1898. Its three-year restoration was made possible by more than $3.4 million in grant funds from THC’s Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program.

The National Trust and its partners, including the New Braunfels Convention and Visitors Bureau, will create a festive atmosphere at the rededication with balloons, a giant heart banner that will be hung on the courthouse, heart-shaped cookies and other give-aways, and Valentine heart-making for local residents to declare their love for their newly-restored treasure. Local businesses in historic downtown New Braunfels will also participate through window displays of these Valentines. Following the rededication in New Braunfels, the campaign will go on the road for several days, including visits to courthouses in Georgetown and Cotulla, among other Central Texas courthouse locations.

In February, the campaign will expand to all existing courthouses statewide, as Texans are encouraged to find creative ways to shower their courthouses with love. February 14 will be a rallying point with plans for group photos across the Lone Star State. A public “love letter” will also be created that carries the names of all of the courthouses’ admirers, and will be displayed on the State Capitol steps during Preservation Day on February 20 at 12:30 p.m. Plans are also in the works to display the “love letter” in locations across the state once the campaign concludes.

About the National Trust’s National Treasures Campaign:National Treasures are irreplaceable, critically threatened places across the country where the National Trust for Historic Preservation is making a deep organizational investment. Guided by more than 60 years of experience, we are taking direct action to protect these places and promote their history and significance, engaging local preservationists to help us advance the cause of preservation nationally.

National Treasures represent the diversity of our nation’s built history and remind all of us of the importance of preserving the irreplaceable places that tell America’s stories. From historic buildings to cultural landscapes, National Trust National Treasures are unique, movement-defining places of action—some of them iconic, others less familiar— that will galvanize support and spark greater public understanding of how preservation contributes to vibrant communities.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation, a privately funded nonprofit organization, works to save America’s historic places to enrich our future. www.PreservationNation.org